


If You Care to Find Me, Look to the Western Sky

by Chash



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 07:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14744372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: Bellamy is more prepared than most small-time sky pirates to deal with a princess stowing away on his ship. After all, he has experiences with princesses.But he wasn't really expecting Princess Madi of Valeria to tell him Clarke was in trouble. He wasn't really expecting to hear from Clarke ever again.





	If You Care to Find Me, Look to the Western Sky

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really digging the spacekru dynamic, so I wanted to do a take on them. Not 100% happy with how it turned out but I've been fighting with it off and on for weeks so let's do this.

"Only you," says Echo, her tone landing somewhere between impressed and disappointed, "could _accidentally_ kidnap a princess."

"That's not what happened," Bellamy snaps.

Of course, she doesn't back down. She knows as well as he does it's more complicated than that, but they're all on edge. The last thing you want on a pirate ship is a missing princess; whether or not you actually kidnapped her is kind of a moot point. "I'm sorry, did you kidnap her on purpose? That's the worst defense I've ever heard."

"Cool it," says Raven, and Echo does.

Bellamy is the captain, and his people love, respect, and obey him, when it comes to the actual sailing part of the job. 

When a princess stows away, though, suddenly everyone is a critic. Even though Bellamy did absolutely nothing wrong.

"I don't even see why this is an issue," Murphy says. "We kick her off the next time we dock. She's rich, all she has to do is find some noble who recognizes her to cover her airfare back to Valeria. She'll be fine."

"She's just a kid. And she left for a reason," says Bellamy, glancing out through the door. Princess Madi of Valeria is sitting on the deck, her face turned to the sky, looking calmer than he was expecting. "She said it was about Clarke."

"Maybe she just heard that was the magic word to get you to do whatever she wanted."

"John," says Emori, and he glances at her.

"What? I'm not wrong."

"No," Raven agrees. "But it's not like a Valerian princess would be listening to rumors about some random trader. I'm not saying I like it," she adds, before anyone can protest further. "But I'm with Bellamy. If she doesn't need our help, how the hell does she even know to look for us? And it's not like _Bellamy used to date Princess Clarke_ is exactly common knowledge."

"We didn't date," Bellamy says automatically. "We were just friends."

"Whatever you want to call it. Princess Madi would have had to hear that from the source, and she got out of the palace and smuggled herself onto an airship. That's not something you do without a damn good reason. We can't just send her home."

"I don't disagree," Echo says. "But I also think we can't have a _runaway princess_ on our ship. If anyone finds out, Bellamy's not the only person who's going to hang for it."

"So you can let us both off at the next port," Bellamy says. "No one else has to risk their necks."

There's a pause, and then Murphy says, "Okay, so it's like that. Someone else can tell me what we're doing, I'm checking out. I'll go tell Monty and Harper they can argue if they want to, but I'm giving up."

"Same," Emori admits. "We can hide one princess."

Echo's jaw works, but she finally nods. "I trust your judgement."

"I don't, but I want to hear what's going on with Clarke," says Raven. "We'll send her in to talk to you."

"I'll still get off at the next port," he says. "If that's what makes the most sense. I'm not making anyone go along with--whatever I have to do."

"You don't have to do anything," says Murphy, a parting shot over his shoulder, and they all file out one-by-one, and then Princess Madi comes in.

By all rights, Bellamy should have no idea what to do with a princess, and in a way, he supposes he still doesn't. Clarke wasn't exactly a master course in royal etiquette; she only taught him how to treat a princess who was pretending not to be one. For her, not being treated as a princess was a kindness.

Maybe Princess Madi is the same way.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t speak to you right away,” he says. “The crew’s a little nervous about having a stowaway princess on board. I think they wanted to turn around and take you back.”

“But you’re not going to?”

“Not yet.” He leans against his desk, watching her. He doesn’t know much about the Valerian royal family, except what he heard from Clarke. Madi is the youngest of the three royal children, second-in-line for the throne now, after the death of Clarke’s husband, Prince Jari. The middle child and current heir, Princess Aleni, had never been Clarke’s favorite person, but Clarke had been fair about it.

“I know I’m not always easy to get along with,” she told him once, and he grinned.

“You could have fooled me.” She kicked his ankle, and he grinned wider. “So, you think it’s your fault?”

“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault. I don’t get along with the king very well either, and Aleni takes after him. I do better with the rest of the family. But hopefully the king not liking me will be enough to get me out of marrying his son.”

“I thought you liked the prince,” he said, keeping his voice casual.

“I do. That doesn’t mean I want to marry him.”

He pulls his mind away from the memory of her as best he can, given they’re talking about her. It’s hard to get Clarke that far out of his mind even when her sister-in-law isn't here and looking at him expectantly.

“So, you said Clarke needed help. What can I do?”

"Help me find her."

"She's missing?"

"I think someone took her," Madi admits. "Someone in the palace. Or they hired someone."

"And you came to me?"

"Clarke said if I ever had a problem and I couldn't come to her, I should see if the Zephyr was coming to port, and find Bellamy Blake, and that he'd help."

He regards her, trying to work it out. She's dressed plainly, the way Clarke used to dress to come to the docks, and he has no reason to believe she even is a princess, except that she claims to know Clarke and she's got a ring with the Valerian crest on it. Someone could be conning him, but he has no idea who or why.

"You didn't have anyone else to help you?" he asks, finally. "I'm not saying no, but it's risky, for me and my crew. We're officially stealing you. If there's someone in the palace--"

"I know." She bites her lip. "Are you really Clarke's best friend?"

It feels like she's tearing him open with the question. It's been _six fucking years_ since he last spoke with her, and it was hard to get over feeling angry at her for that. He couldn't just walk into the Valerian palace and ask for an audience with the heir's wife, but she could have come down to the port to see him, if she'd wanted to. She knew where he was.

But they were always running on borrowed time. She said goodbye, and he can't really blame her for wanting a clean break.

"Yeah," he says.

"So I can trust you?"

"Yeah."

She nods, once. "I'm afraid of my sister, and I think she's--I think she's the one who had Clarke kidnapped. I'm worried about what's happening in the palace, and I don't know who I can trust _except_ for Clarke. And now she's gone, and I know she'd never leave without telling me, so--"

"So we need to find her," says Bellamy, nodding. Madi's fairly calm, pragmatic, but she might just be putting on a brave front. There's no reason to make her do it for longer than she has to. "And you have no idea where she might have gone?"

"I have one," she says. "I don't know if it's right, but it's a place to start."

"Where does your sister think you are?"

"My tutor is covering for me. She's lovely and kind, but not--helpful." Bellamy has to bite back on a smile. It sounds so much like what Clarke might say. "She's visiting her family for two weeks, and I'm supposed to be going with her."

"So we don't have much time. We should tell Emori where we're heading, and then you can fill me in on the rest."

Her face melts into relief, cracked wide open with it, and it's nice to see her looking a little more like a kid. Royals grow up quickly, but she can't be more than twelve. He'd like it if she didn't have to worry quite as much as she seems to be worrying right now.

He can dream.

"We're going back to Valeria," he tells Emori, and the rest of the crew by extension. They're all listening. "Princess Madi says Clarke is--" He frowns. "Where is she supposed to be?"

"In Arcadia with her family. But I know she wouldn't just leave! Not without telling me. And the note Aleni said she left isn't even in her handwriting!"

She sounds mostly offended that her sister didn't do a better job with the cover-up, and Bellamy has to smother a smile.

"Okay, so, someone took her and you have an idea where?"

"She's still a princess, they're not going to take her anywhere too awful. There's a summer palace that isn't used anymore. I heard Aleni talking about getting it ready, even though we haven't been in years. And she stopped talking when she saw me, and then Clarke--"

He nods. "That sounds like the right place to start. Can you show Emori where we're going?"

"Not exactly, but close."

"That's good enough." He can feel Raven and Echo watching him, and he doesn't let himself turn. "We shouldn't lose more than a week or two."

"Yeah, because once we _get_ the princess, that's it," Raven mutters. "Definitely won't have to do any follow-up there."

"If you want us out, you can kick us out," he says. "Once we have Clarke." He turns his attention back to Madi. "I promise, you can trust everyone here. They'll help. So just--tell me what's going on in Valeria."

"I don't know for sure," Madi admits. "When you're a kid, they don't tell you everything. But my grandfather--he's been sick. We don't think he'll last much longer, and Aleni is already taking over a lot of his duties. But--Clarke's still popular. She doesn't have a claim to the throne, she and Jari didn't have children, but she's still in the palace, and I think some people think she'd make a better queen than Aleni." She bites her lip. "I think she would."

"So?" says Murphy. "Sucks for the princess, but it's not like the prince's widow is actually a threat, right? She doesn't have a claim to the crown?"

"Bad monarchs should always be afraid of their people," says Bellamy.

"I think Aleni wants to do something," says Madi, careful. "She told Maya to take me out of the palace, too. I don't know what she's doing, but I know it's bad for Clarke, and probably bad for me too."

"Well, we can check the summer palace. Monty, can you get in touch with Jasper? He's still in Arcadia, he should be able to put out feelers, see if anyone there knows anything about Clarke. Just in case they did get her back there, somehow. I know she didn't write the note," he adds to Madi. "But Aleni's a princess. She could be working with someone in Arcadia to get Clarke out of her court."

"You ever get an explanation for why Clarke was still there?" Raven asks, cocking her head at Bellamy. "I figured once the prince died--"

"I think she stayed for me," says Madi. "Because she knew I'd be lonely."

It still hurts, the same dull ache Bellamy's felt every time he's thought about Clarke since her husband died, but it hurts a little less. Clarke had people she cared about and loved, the same as he did.

But she told Madi about him. She didn't forget either.

"So we'll find her, and we'll figure out what we need to do to," he says. "I promise."

Madi smiles. “I know.”

*

They hadn’t gotten that far out of Eden City when Madi revealed herself, just enough that she knew they couldn’t turn around and take her back without some trouble, and the summer palace doesn’t require turning the ship completely around. Emori says it won’t take more than a day or two to make it out there, and Bellamy is simultaneously relieved and a little disappointed. He wants to get to Clarke as soon as possible, to find her, but he doesn’t want this to be over in a matter of days, the royals back in the palace and out of his life again.

Not that Clarke's even back in his life yet. But she probably won't be there for long, when she does arrive.

Madi is good company, though. She asks him for his side of stories he barely remembers, wants every detail of Clarke sneaking out of the palace to spend time in the city, and she has enough information already that he doesn't feel as if he's betraying any confidences by telling her. And it's not as if his side of it was a secret--he didn't have his own ship yet, back then, worked first in the docks and then for an aircab company in Alpha, the capital city. It took him a while to figure out that the girl whose speech was just a little too refined and nails just a little too clean was the princess, but she was out with her tutor one day and her tutor hailed his cab.

He'd expected to never see her again, once he knew who she really was, but she showed up the next day, and he treated her the same as ever, and that was when they became friends, real friends.

Even then, he'd known it couldn't last, not like that. He'd gotten his ship a week before her wedding, an accident of timing that he appreciated, mostly because it took him out of the entire kingdom. If he'd been in Alpha, he wouldn't have been able to resist witnessing the wedding, Princess Clarke's last hurrah before she left her home to start her new life.

As it was, he celebrated her marriage alone in his cabin with a bottle of wine while Raven and Monty--his whole crew, back then--made sure the ship didn't crash.

The memories are always lurking, but the closer they get to Clarke, the harder it is to ignore them. 

He honestly thought he'd never see her again.

"You know, when Raven said you used to date the princess of Arcadia, I thought she was exaggerating."

Bellamy doesn't look at Echo. They're alone in the mess, and he does feel as if he owes her something of an explanation. He doesn't think he's been pining away for an unobtainable princess, and it's certainly not why it didn't work between him and Echo, but--Clarke is there, in the back of his mind. This memory of loving her.

Maybe this will clear it out.

"She was. Nothing ever happened between us. But it wasn't because I didn't want it to."

"And the princess?"

He shrugs. "She'd been engaged to Prince Jari since before we ever met. I know she had--dalliances. But her duty was her duty, and she never would have--"

"She might have fucked you, but she couldn't marry you."

"Something like that. And she didn't fuck me."

"She's not married anymore," Echo says, like Bellamy hasn't been thinking that non-stop since Madi showed up.

Since the prince died, if he's honest.

"Still a princess." He sighs, runs a hand through his hair. It's getting too long again, but Emori claims it suits him. And it would probably be weird if he cut it now, just to try to make a good impression. "Trust me, I noticed she's not married anymore. What exactly do you want me to say?"

"Nothing in particular. I'm just curious how far this is going to go. Are we going to get involved in overthrowing the Valerian government and putting your childhood sweetheart on the throne?"

It hadn't actually occurred to him. "I doubt she wants to be the Queen of Valeria," he says, but that's really beside the point. The bigger question here is one of priorities, and it's a valid one. "I don't know what she needs. And I don't know who she is now. But--if she needs help, I'll help her. The same as any of you."

"I've heard a loyal captain is a blessing," she says, dry. "I'm not so sure."

"Wait until you're in trouble." He clears his throat. "I'm not saying it's going to come to anything dramatic, but if it does, I won't expect you to stay."

"With you, it's always dramatic."

The bell rings on deck, signalling that Monty needs to talk to him.

"I appreciate the support," he says, grabbing a piece of bread and heading up to the bridge. 

As he expected, they're passing by what must be the summer palace, smaller and less ornate than the royal palace at Arcadia, but still clearly somewhere nobles live. They aren't flying any flags, so if Clarke is there, they're keeping it quiet, but there's smoke coming out of the chimney.

"We saw a couple towns nearby, right?" he asks Monty.

"We did. You want to stop there?"

"I don't want to try to land unannounced at a royal palace. We'll land nearby, stop into town, and see what we can find out."

"All of us?"

"Up to you. I'm not planning a siege."

"What are you planning?"

"Depends on what we find out."

Monty sighs. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Not a lot, yet. We're still a democratic vessel," he adds. "If you want to take a vote to leave me--"

"We're not leaving you. And I liked Clarke, the few times I met her. Just--I don't like _this_."

"I don't like it either. But I can't just leave her."

"I know." Monty nods. "I'll take us into town. Shouldn't take too long. What's our cover story?"

"We need supplies. I'll have Harper bring some stuff in to sell, but it's not like we're some huge operation. We can just be passing through and staying for a day or two to see the countryside."

"And ask leading questions about the summer palace."

"I'll get Echo to do it, that's what she's here for. Reconnaissance."

"Finding us smuggling opportunities, not kidnapping."

"It's not kidnapping!"

Monty flashes him a grin. "Maybe don't yell that."

"It's not."

"No, it's not." He turns his attention toward the town below, growing larger in front of them. "It's a rescue mission."

Bellamy can't quite believe that either, but it's apparently the truth, so he should try to get used to it.

"Yeah," he says. "That's the idea."

*

Bellamy doesn't know Echo's full and exact history, but she came recommended by a contact he trusts, and after three years of her benefiting from helping them break the law, Bellamy trusts her too. And he knows that she's far and away the best person on his team at getting information.

That doesn't make him any less antsy waiting for her to come back.

"You pacing isn't going to get her back any faster," Raven says. "I'm worried too, but--"

"But you're better than I am, I know," says Bellamy. He flops down next to her at the work bench. "You're not nervous about seeing her again."

"Not that nervous," Raven grants. "I didn't have a crush on her. Not my type."

"Lucky you. It's not like I think she's going to swoon into my arms or anything. Honestly, I don't know what I'm expecting. I haven't seen her for six years. She's been married, lost a husband--" He sighs. "And it's not like I'm the same person either. I'm not sure what would be worse, if she's not like I remembered or if she is."

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Yeah."

"She's a princess. She liked you. Hell, she probably would have married you if she wasn't who she was. But who she is hasn't changed. You're looking at closure here, Bellamy, not happily ever after."

"You're the one who told the whole crew I used to go out with a princess," he points out. "The least you could do is act like I could actually go out with a princess."

"I like your odds of getting laid, if it helps. And I still think that's the best way to explain why you're so fucking weird about royalty and Arcadia. It's close enough to true."

"It probably is," he admits. "I'm an idiot, right?"

"Yeah, but not for that. She liked you too, okay? I promise. You two were some epic, tragic shit. And I wish you weren't, but you're probably still going to be tragic."

"But I might get laid."

"I wouldn't rule it out. You'll probably feel better regardless."

"Closure?"

"We'll see." She ruffles his hair. "She told her new sister stories about you."

He has to smile. "I know."

Right on cue, Madi runs down, followed by Harper and Emori. They were showing her how the controls work; by the time they're taking her home, Madi will definitely be able to pilot a ship, and probably cheat at poker too.

"Echo's coming back!"

His own heart starts beating double time, but he keeps his expression smooth. "She might not have anything."

"I know. But she might have something too."

"Can't argue with that."

Madi grabs his hand and tugs him with her; Echo is still on the ground, looking around with a slight frown like she smelled something bad.

"Problem?"

"I think your princess is in there, but I'm not sure how to get her out."

"Under lock and key?"

"It's a royal summer home; the family is supposed to come here to get away, not to socialize. They don't take audiences here. I asked around like we were interested in taking a tour, and everyone said that they don't allow it when the family is there."

"What about me?" asks Madi.

Bellamy frowns. "What about you?"

"I'm the princess, I should be able to visit."

"You're not supposed to be here," he says, but Raven's thinking about it.

"That's not a bad idea."

"Why not?"

"She's supposed to be with her tutor, right? These guys probably don't know who that is. If Madi shows up, says she was in the area and wanted to check out the palace, they can't exactly say no. They can get in touch with Princess Aleni, but that takes time. We should at least be able to figure out if Clarke is there."

"That's pretty risky," says Harper. "What if they just take Madi too?"

"Three of us could go," says Bellamy. "Me, Raven, Madi. Raven's the tutor, I'm her brother, I'm escorting them. If things go wrong, the three of us can get out."

"And if they go really wrong, the five of you will be fine," Raven adds. "I like that plan."

Echo is frowning. "Really?"

"It's up to Madi," says Bellamy. "It's the biggest risk for her. If your sister finds out you're here--"

Madi nods. "I want to do it. As long as we find Clarke, I'll be okay."

It's impossible not to wonder what's happening in the Valerian court. Madi should have been surrounded by people taking care of her for her whole life, but Clarke seems to be it.

No wonder she stayed after her husband died.

"Okay," he says. "Here goes nothing."

*

As soon as they're in sight of the palace, Madi becomes a princess.

Bellamy remembers Clarke doing the same thing herself, the visible change as she put royalty on like an invisible cloak. It's something they're taught, the people they have to be, and it's a shock every time he sees someone do it.

There's just one guard at the gate, a bored-looking man who snaps to attention when he sees the three of them.

"Palace is closed to--"

"I am Princess Madi'sola II of Valeria," says Madi, offering the same ring she used to prove her identity to his crew. "I would like to view the palace."'

To his credit, the guard recovers quickly. "Your highness," he says, dropping to one knee. "We were not informed of your arrival."

"You were not," Madi agrees. "I apologize. I've been traveling with my tutor, and when I saw the palace, I thought it would be nice to visit. I haven't been since I was a child." She cocks her head, all earnest curiosity. The kid's _good_ ; no wonder Clarke likes her so much. "Why is the palace closed?"

Bellamy almost feels sorry for the guy. He's probably not a bad person, maybe even a real royal guard just following orders, but no one prepared him for this eventuality, and he doesn't seem like the best independent thinker. Telling the locals that there's a royal here is very different from telling another royal. 

"There are renovations being done," he says, after too long a pause. "It's not safe for--"

"I don't mind," says Madi, smooth. "We'll be careful."

The man opens and closes his mouth, finally settles on, "Let me get someone to escort you."

"This is why you always have two guards on the door," Raven says, leaning in close even though they're alone. "We could do anything right now."

"We're not breaking in while he's gone," Bellamy tells her, out of the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, no. It's still sloppy."

The guard returns with a few other people, all of whom want to give Madi a tour, and Madi is bright and cheerful and completely unwilling to budge: she's been here before, she knows her way around, and she doesn't need an escort in her own palace. She has Raven and Bellamy, and that's sufficient.

Princesses can't do _anything_ they want, but they almost always win _I insist_ contests against people in their employment because the people in their employment can't stop them. Madi steps up to the door, and they open it for her, and when she dismisses the man who's trying to show them around, he has no real argument.

"Just tell us where the renovations are and we won't go there," Madi says, and he sighs.

"The west wing."

"We'll be careful," says Madi. "That's all."

"The guards there aren't going to let us through," Raven murmurs, as they head toward the palace. The grounds are nice, but going a little to the wild; it's clear that this place hasn't been regularly used for a good few years. If he was renovating, he'd probably start with the gardens. "And you probably can't brute force your way in. Any ideas?"

"Servant's stairs," says Bellamy. "They might not be defending there. You two look around, I'll see if I can find the back entrance."

"And how are we getting her out?"

"Let's make sure she's here first, and then we'll figure it out."

"You get that this is a stupid plan, right?"

"Do you have a less stupid one?"

"What are you going to say if they catch you?"

"I'm going to try to beat them up before they figure out what's going on. Look, it's like you said--one guard at the gate? They can't have many people."

"But they're all going to be watching us."

That's certainly true; they might have told the guide to stop guiding them, but he's still around, far enough away he can pretend he's not following them. Slipping away won't be easy.

Beating up every single person in the palace to get to Clarke is tempting, but probably still a last resort.

"What if we start outside?" Raven suggests.

"Outside?"

"Make some noise. Maybe Clarke will hear us."

"How long's it going to take them to check in with Princess Aleni?"

Raven taps her jaw. "They'll send a messenger bird, probably, so--a while. Longer than we'll be here today. They probably won't hear back until late tomorrow."

"Then yeah, let's see what we can do."

*

Madi takes the lead, an enthusiastic girl eager to share all her fond memories with a receptive audience. Bellamy listens with half an ear as he scopes out the place, trying to get a feel for how many people there are and how to get back in. Maybe they could scale the walls? Maybe they could just stay here tonight; it's Madi's right, as a princess, and they could smuggle Clarke out, if they could find her.

She's so fucking _close_ ; all he wants to do is start breaking down walls to find her.

They're in the kitchen when Raven says, "No one's following us."

Bellamy looks around, but she's right. Madi claimed she wanted to come down here because she used to help with the cooking, and apparently no one wanted to come with them. The kitchen is wide and open and empty, except for the three of them.

"Huh," says Bellamy. "Well, let's see if we can find the back stairs."

They go together, because Madi and Raven without him would raise instant alarms, but Madi dragging him and Raven into places they aren't supposed to be makes total sense. She's great cover.

"Do you know where she'd be in the west wing?"

"I barely know which one the west wing is," Madi admits. "I didn't care much about room names."

"Makes sense." He huffs. "There aren't that many of them, we can probably fight our way out if we have to."

"You want to," Raven points out.

He shrugs one shoulder. "Getting bored."

"Always a good reason to start fighting people."

"Shut up."

"Hold up for a second," Raven says, stopping at the wall. "Bells."

"Bells?" he asks, stopping next to her.

"With room names."

He's seen these before, in other large houses: every room has a tug rope, and the rope will ring a bell on this wall, letting servants know that someone needs something. These are divided into groups, first by floor and then by wing. 

"Bedrooms on the second floor, not exactly surprising," Bellamy says. 

"Yeah, but you can see which way the ropes are going." Raven points at the bell for the blue bedroom, in the west wing, with a string going off to the left. "So that's the way we should be heading."

They're in the west wing when the commotion starts, people in the hallway talking in somewhat panicked voices, someone saying, "We don't have eyes on the princess," and Bellamy assumes they realized Madi's missing.

"Stay sh--" he starts, and then there's a light ahead of them, and Clarke poking her head into the hallway.

The thing about loving someone is that their appearance becomes one of those irrational, subjective things. He has no idea what Clarke looks like to Raven, or to Madi, but to him she is, even after six years, even after everything, the most beautiful person in the entire world and the best thing he's ever seen.

Her mouth drops open in surprise, and then she _grins_ , the brightest thing he's ever seen, and runs towards them. 

He's already braced to catch her, but she's not running into an embrace. Instead, she grabs his arm and tugs. "We need to get out of here before they figure out where I went."

"Where do they think you went?" he asks, trying not to stare. Her hair is shorter and she's wearing a gown, which she rarely did when he knew her. She looks a little thin and worn out, but she's smiling, still pulling him.

"I put a rope of blankets out the window," she says. "So they'll be looking that direction. I'm glad it was you, I don't know what I would have done if someone else was trying to kidnap me." She smiles. "But I did hear another princess was here, so I thought it must be--"

"Are you okay?" asks Madi, anxious. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine," says Clarke. "Let's get out of here while they're looking the other way."

It's not the best plan he's ever heard, but they probably aren't going to get a better opportunity. Once the guards realize Clarke's not in the garden, they'll start searching the palace; their best bet is to get out of the palace and find a safe place to hide until the search moves back inside.

Raven's already on it. "This way."

On the one hand, it's not exactly what he was hoping for in his first encounter with Clarke in six years, but at least it goes well. There's enough chaos and disorder, and they did a good enough job of exploring the gardens, that they make it to the gate without being seen. There's one guard still there, but Bellamy knocks him out before he can raise the alarm.

And Clarke was holding his hand most of the time. It's not the most important takeaway, but it is nice.

"Did you bring the ship?" she asks. They're staying close to the palace walls as they go, hoping that will shield them from anyone looking out over the landscape.

"Yeah, but we have to get back to it," says Raven. She flashes Clarke a smile. "Good to see you again, by the way."

She laughs. "I was going to save that for when we were out of here. But good to see you too. Thanks for coming."

"Madi told us you needed help," Bellamy says. "The ship's in the woods, as close as we could get it without being noticed." He squeezes her hand. "Shouldn't take too long to get there and get out, but--they're going to know who took you."

"Just Madi," Raven points out. "I doubt anyone knows who we are."

"Can this wait?" Clarke asks. "Seriously, get out first--"

"We're going," says Bellamy. "Some of us can walk and talk at the same time."

"I'm so impressed," she teases, but she's grinning.

Harper's waiting by the ship with the ship's only handgun, and her face breaks out in relief when she sees she doesn't have to use it. 

"Did it go okay?"

"For now, but they're going to start looking for us outside the palace soon. They'll see the guard we dropped, and--well, you know the drill. Who's driving?"

"Emori."

"Good. Tell her to get us the fuck out of here."

Harper takes off, and Bellamy's abruptly aware that they've gotten to the exact point he was waiting for--on the ship, safe, with Clarke--and he has no idea what to do. There are logistics to discuss, plans to make, lives to catch up on, and he can't think of a single thing.

Clarke, at least, has a few plans. She hugs Madi and Raven, and then she's in his arms, holding him so tight his bones are going to ache with it later.

"I missed you," she says, and he clings back just as tightly.

"Yeah, I missed you too. Are you okay?"

"Hungry and a little beat up, but--fine. No one wanted to kill me."

He makes himself let go. "What did she want?"

"Honestly? I'm not totally sure. But we should figure it out. Madi, where does she think you are?"

Just like that, it's all business again, and he knows it _should_ be all business. Clarke is worried about Madi's tutor, and they decide that has to be their next stop. Even if the princess believes that Maya had nothing to do with Clarke's escape, she'll know that Madi lied about leaving with her, and that's a dangerous lie to be caught in. They agree on that as their next destination, but there's much more to talk about after that.

"Tomorrow," Clarke says, her smile genuinely weary. "I think we all need sleep. And since we know where we're going--"

Bellamy nods. "Yeah, sleep's probably a good idea. We've got plenty of time to figure out what to do next."

He's planning to leave, but Clarke catches his eye, gives him a look he remembers, telling him they need to talk. She sends Madi off with some murmured words, and in no time, the two of them are alone in the conference room.

Clarke tucks her hair behind her ear, watching him with a shy smile. "Can we go somewhere private?"

It takes a second for him to find his voice. "Yeah, of course. My quarters okay?"

"You have your own private quarters?" she teases.

"It's good to be captain. Honestly, we're in pretty good shape for lodgings. Echo and Raven doubled up to give Madi a bunk, but usually we don't have to share."

"What about me?"

"With Madi?" It comes out a question mostly because he's not sure if she's hoping for a different answer. His whole body is on high alert, anxious and excited all at once. It's stupid, the whole thing meaningless, a coincidence of timing, as much as anything. If this had happened six months ago, he and Echo would still be together, and he'd be--

Well, he'd be in even worse shape, probably. His feelings for Clarke have always been a mess. But this isn't anything special. She could have someone new in the Valerian court, for all he knows.

But then Madi could have gone to that person. She wouldn't have had to come to him.

Clarke doesn't reply to his suggestion except for a nod, and when he holds the door to his quarters open, she goes in and looks around a little, examining the few decorations he has. It's more than a little staggering, to have her in his life again, in his space, walking around the Zephyr like she belongs.

Maybe she's thinking the same thing, because she says, "The ship looks great. You've done a good job with it."

"I've had a while."

She ducks her head, and he wishes he could cram the words back in. There wasn't any way to say it without making it sound like an accusation.

"I know."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Like what?"

He pauses. "I wondered why you didn't ever come see us, but I wasn't--I know you had a lot to do."

She still catches her bottom lip in her teeth when she's thinking, the same as he remembers. And when she speaks, it's still deliberate. "The first year,. I was afraid that if I saw you, I'd ask you to take me away. I didn't fit in, my husband didn't understand me, I missed you all the time. Then, once I started getting used to it, I thought if I saw you I'd lose all that. If I let you comfort me after my husband died, I wouldn't be able to leave. If I told you my problems, I wouldn't be able to stop."

"So, you wanted to see me so much you couldn't see me?" he asks, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"I know it sounds bad."

"No, I--" He clears his throat. "I missed you too."

"I am sorry. That it's been so long. I didn't know what to say, either."

"How have you been?" he offers, and she laughs again.

"It's been--interesting." Her expression sobers as she studies him. "You trust your crew?"

"With my life and yours. No one here will betray you, Clarke."

"I'd been thinking about asking for your help already," she admits. "But I haven't known what help I need, either. I'm worried Aleni wants to start a war."

"With anyone specific, or just in general?"

"I'm being serious."

"So am I. Wars don't usually start out of nowhere. Someone tends to have some kind of reason. I assume Princess Aleni isn't planning to try to fight Tridis or Azgeda, and she's on good terms with Arcadia, so where is she looking and why?"

"Her neighbors."

"And why does she need you out of the way for that, exactly?"

"If you're trying to build an empire, you don't generally want someone at your war table pointing out that it's a stupid idea. And she's probably not wrong to worry about getting ousted from power after her father dies," she admits. "I think she wants me out of the way to convince them that I'm still in court because I'm planning an Arcadian coup."

"Are you?"

"Not yet. I don't really want to take over Valeria, I just want Aleni out of power."

"Could they win a war?"

"I think they probably could, but--" She huffs. "Why bother? They don't need more land or more resources. Even if they annexed Floden or another of their neighbors, the rest of the Thirteen Kingdoms would turn against them. War leads to more war."

"And if we lost a kingdom, we'd have to rename the region."

Her smile is grudging, but all the more genuine for its reluctance. "That too."

He leans against the door, arms crossed as he watches her. "So, what are you doing?"

"Now? Ousting her from power. She had me imprisoned, and I'm sure she's been using the time to prepare evidence that I'm a traitor to the crown."

He snorts. "I get where you're coming from, but I'm not convinced that the smartest response to being accused of being a traitor is actually being a traitor. Could you take Madi and go back to Arcadia?"

"Not without making it worse. And that wouldn't help Valeria."

"Those are your people now?" he asks, curious. Even when she was sneaking out of the palace every other day to prowl the docks, he'd never doubted her loyalty to her kingdom and her crown. 

"Valeria is smaller than Arcadia," she says. "And they aren't enemies. I don't have to be torn between the two of them. But I am planning to stay in Valeria."

"I thought so."

"It's not as if you have anything tying you to Arcadia," she says, and his eyes snap to her.

"Am I supposed to be moving to Valeria?" he asks, careful.

"I don't know. But--fuck, Bellamy, it's so good to see you."

He could point out that she could have seen him any time, that he missed her too and she was the one who stayed away. She could have seen him any time, and he--

Well, he could have asked for an audience in the Valerian court. But he didn't know how, or if he'd be welcome.

"I did say I knew what would happen if I saw you again," she adds, when he doesn't come up with a response.

He wets his lips. "I knew what would happen if I saw you again too."

She's the one to move first, walking toward him deliberately, and he's the first to touch her, sliding one arm around her waist. Her own arms hook around his neck, and _this_ is brand new, not some half-remembered thing. He's never gotten to touch her so much, and he always wanted to.

"This is a bad idea," he says, and then he kisses her.

It's not as if kissing is new for him, as an activity. He's had plenty of lovers, kissed plenty of people. But he's never kissed _her_ , for all he's dreamed about it, and it still feels like uncharted territory. Every touch, he can't forget that this is Clarke, the princess he's tried to talk himself out of loving, the woman he thought he'd never see again, and now here she is, on his ship, in his room, in his arms, her mouth greedy and desperate against his.

He's the one to pull away, but he nearly changes his mind when she chases him.

"Clarke--"

"I know."

"Yeah? Then tell me."

She tucks her face against his neck, just breathing. "I haven't seen you for six years. I'm a princess. I married someone else. You're here because I was imprisoned by a corrupt leader and now I'm probably going to stage a coup. This is a bad idea."

"I was going to say I still love you."

She kisses his shoulder. "That was next on my list. But that's a good thing."

"Maybe I was thinking good things."

"Then why did you stop kissing me?"

It's a valid question. "You're right. I was really thinking that I can't lose you again."

"Yeah, that too."

"And that you don't have to share a room with Madi if you don't want to."

She kisses him again, soft and quick. "I should tell her where I am. But I'll be back soon."

Bellamy flops back on the bed once Clarke has slipped out of the room. It's too much, really--renegade princesses, royal coups, wars and politics and a whole stupid world that's never been his.

But it is Clarke, and Clarke is apparently still his. Not the same Clarke she was the last time he saw her, but his still. 

Somehow, his all along.

He grins up at the ceiling. They'll figure it out.

*

"How's your girlfriend?"

Bellamy lets the pause stretch. "Probably staging a coup."

"Seriously?"

"The princess did lock her up. I'd be pissed too."

"And we're helping?"

He fills his mug up with coffee and takes a drink. "I'm helping. What you do is your business."

"So, what, twelve hours and some good sex and you're ready to abandon your crew?"

Her tone is mild, but the question is genuine. How he answers matters. They all want to know where his loyalties lie.

"I'd make you captain," he says. "If it came to that. I'm not saying I want it to come to that, but--I don't know what's going to happen, honestly."

She lets it sit for a beat, and then says, "What's going to happen is that we go with you. I assume that if you're in with a princess, we're all in with the princess."

"She likes you too," he says. "Not like you're not invited to the revolution all by yourself."

"Revolutionaries, huh?"

"Clarke says Aleni wants to go to war. Even if she wasn't--"

"Your girlfriend."

"Clarke. It would still be the right call. We don't need war in the kingdoms."

"We don't. And it is Clarke, and it's us, so--"

"Revolutionaries, like you said."

"Could be a good look for us," says Raven. "I could live with that."

Clarke comes into the mess before Bellamy can respond, dressed in clothes she borrowed from Harper. Madi's trailing behind her, looking happier than he's seen, and he has no idea what a coup looks like, not really. They've got seven pirates, two princesses, and an airship.

Kingdoms have probably fallen to less, when you get right down to the heart of it. And they make a good heart.

"Yeah," he says, smiling at Raven and making sure it goes over her shoulder to Clarke. "I think we've got this."


End file.
